1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to recording media suited for storing computer software, recording apparatuses or reproduction apparatuses therefor, and recording methods or reproduction methods therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various types of software used in computers have been offered with recording media such as optical disks, magneto-optical disks, magnetic disks, memory cards, and magnetic tape.
As a type of such recording media, a partial ROM disk has been developed. The partial ROM disk includes a ROM area used only for reproduction and a rewritable area (RAM area) for recording and reproduction.
It is preferred that only an authorized user who has bought an application program stored in a medium can use the program.
Files and other data which the user has stored in a recording medium are required to be kept in confidentiality.
In some cases, it is desired that they cannot be read by other persons or they cannot be rewritten without permission.
Therefore, it is demanded that a protection function is implemented so that various types of data stored in a recording medium cannot be read/written by other persons.
It is known that a simple protection function such as that requiring an ID input to a recording and reproduction apparatus or a personal computer is weak in protection and a more effective protection function is demanded.